Music.
a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in
a state of repose.

Someone picked the right
name.

I had a good feeling about
the Consonance Cyber 845 monoblocks as soon they arrived at my house. I
pulled them into my listening room and was pleasantly surprised by the
packing. They were double boxed, definitely a good sign, and a special
protective niche for the tubes was the first thing I saw. I removed the
cover and found stiff foam cut perfectly to accommodate the shape of the
amps. The stainless steel rails on top of the chassis were the perfect
means to pull the amps out of their packing and effortlessly set them on
the floor. The build quality of these amps is uncomplicated, the look is
solid and industrial, yet has a very pleasing aesthetic in its
originality. I've never seen another chassis bear any resemblance. They
are unique. Even my wife, the art director, Ms. ho-hum about anything
hi-fi, actually took notice and commented on the very hip look of the
design.

After placing the monoblocks
in the logical spot, I used the too-cool outriggers to level them out,
and then turned my attention to the tubes. The massive 845s were wrapped
in foam rubber inside separate boxes. I got out my white cotton gloves
and unpacked the precious thermionics and installed them into their
keyed sockets. Since I was already set up for monoblock power operation—my PS Audio Xtreme Statement power cables plugged into the PS Audio
Duet power center—no need to bother with the stock power cables that
were included with the Cybers. The Xtremes were linked in a minute, all
that was left was to couple a run of Acoustic Zen Satori to the eagerly
waiting Daedalus Ulysses. Maybe 15 minutes from amp boxes on porch to
full connectivity and tube warming stage.

The Cyber series of amps
eliminates ugly tube cages. The stainless steel rails and faceted
Plexiglas lens lets you enjoy the glow while protecting your glass. In
the rear you'll find an IEC power connector, RCA inputs, and 5-way
binding posts for 4- and 8-ohm taps. The power switch on the top of the
transformer cover makes it easy to power on/off. I loved the trim pot
for hum. Let's be real—it's a tube amp—unless you've taken
extraordinary measures to clean your power you're going to get some hum.
This feature let's you minimize it on the spot. Also included is a bias
adjustment. Super easy. Hook up the ¼ inch jack, put the two wires on
your meter, adjust the pot, and boom, you're good to go!

Specifications for 845 output tube version:

Control Functions: Power On/Off

Power Output: 28 watt, RMS
1kHz

Total Harmonic Distortion:
less than 1% (15watt, 1kHz )

Frequency Response: (-3dB
points at 15 watt ) 5Hz - 47kHz

Input Sensitivity: 1V

Input Impedance: 100k ohms

Output: 4, 8 ohms. User
selectable.

Signal/Noise: 90dB

Consumption: 150 watt x 2

Input Interfaces: 1 group
(RCA )

Vacuum Tube: NOS E88CC x
2, NOS 5687 x 2, 845 x 2

Dimensions: 420 (L) x185
(W) x330(H)mm x 2

Weight: 30kg x 2 ( packed
)

Someone with real prowess
put thought and proper engineering into the design of the Cyber series
chassis—a great balance of functionality and visual pleasure. Everyone
that's visited my room since they've taken up residence—especially
non-audiophiles—really notice them. No reason amps can't look great
while sounding great.

I got interested in the
Consonance line after first seeing and hearing them at a show last year.
Not only did their room sound great, showing the Cyber 211 RL
with the Acoustique
Lamhorn loudspeakers, but the second day I noticed a pair of Consonance
amps shown in a lobby display with an in-wall speaker that I forget
the name of. I was really surprised at the great results. Plus, when
Dave Clark and Bob Levi raved about the
Cyber 800 I decided to
look into Consonance.

No need to waste time. If
you read my review on the killer
Daedalus Ulysses speakers,
you know I liked these amps. Well, liked is not nearly strong enough.
These monoblocks communicate. No matter what speaker I used I felt a
special link to the music. The entropic factor diminished to the point
that it became hard to concentrate on evaluation. Some say the 845 has a
dark character. Not in my room. What I immediately heard was truer and
fuller textures in all registers, especially non-electric instruments
and voice. The 845 also provided excellent, listenable highs, and when
required, surprisingly slammin' bass. Delicate when required, thunderous
when essential, dynamics were very, very good for 28-watt amplifiers. If
this is the type of sound you're after you need to hear these
monoblocks.

As time went on I noticed a
consistent, lucid coherence, especially on well-recorded music. As the
tonal superiority of the 845 shone through, so many recordings became,
well, just a sheer pleasure to listen to. This amp worked very well for
all types of music, but I was again and again surprised at the generous,
well-defined bass, especially in electric music. Absolutely amazing what
one 28-watt output tube can accomplish.

Honestly, I had the finest
listening experience (other than a few super megabuck systems set up
properly at shows) that I recall using the Cyber 845 with the Daedalus
Ulysses. Occasionally I wished the Cybers could pump out more power
since the Ulysses was really designed to be used with a higher-powered amp. But,
most times the combination was so sweet I just couldn't ask for much
more.

These amps have ability to
get to the inner spirit of the music. Important minute details that were
vital to the performance were not neglected, nor were they highlighted.
The Cyber 845 has talent to naturally render a correspondence of sounds.
These amps are very self-assured in the texture department, fleshing out
the overtone structures of instruments and voice with accuracy, agility,
and satisfying warmth. Although not razor's-edge fast, I'd never call
the 845s slow—especially for low-power tube amps. They throw a focused
sound stage, very three-dimensional, with imagining that is sometimes
scary. Buy the best speakers you can for these amps, they deserve it.

Problems, flaws? Not a one
during the many months the Cyber 845s slept over at my house. They
performed perfectly every day.

Working with Joe Trelli of
Ultraviolet Audio on this project has been great. The guy is not only
very pleasant to work with, but also knowledgeable. My impression is
that he truly wants his customers to be happy with their purchase, and
he backs it up. Impressive, and not all that common these days.

When all is said and done
reviewing can only go so far. Comparing a product to another similar
product produces an assessment and an opinion. Measurements, if used,
produce empirical data that may, or may not, be indicative of what a
component sounds like. In the end what matters most to me is
communication. Does the component speak to me? Does it help my system to
make music more pleasurable, listenable, poignant? Can it deliver the
essence of the music? The Opera Consonance Cyber 845 can and does.
Accord, agreement? Harmony of sounds? You bet. The Cyber 845 has
heart and soul. Recommended, Recommended, Recommended. John Zurek

Please allow me to express a deep and
heartfelt thank you to John Zurek and the rest of the staff at
Positive Feedback Online for the opportunity of having our
Consonance Cyber 845 tube monoblock amplifiers reviewed. As an obvious
reflection of the staff there, PFO has come to represent the gold
standard in online high-end audio reviewing websites.

John's physical description of the amps
should serve as a road map for how it's done. But, after all, this is
the high-end audio hobby, and what matters most is what's inside, the
heart and soul of the component. I greatly appreciate the work John put
into this end of the review. To say he captured the true sonic essence
of our product would be how I put it. With 28-wpc, this is not the
typical SET amplifier strictly limited to the highest in high efficiency
loudspeakers. Rather, most reasonable speakers can be accommodated quite
well indeed, as witness the synergy achieved with the traditional
Daedalus Ulysses, a product which I personally spent a good amount of
time with at THE Show 2008.

Tube amplification is the core competency of
Consonance, and the Cyber Series tube monoblock amplifier line
represents our flagship. We invite you to give this truly reference line
of products a listen, as we have an exceedingly well fleshed out line of
amplifiers that should fit most any
audiophile's need.

Once again, my sincere thanks to John Zurek
for an outstanding job in reviewing our amplifiers. Well done!